2008 Woodie Awards
Backs pleads guilty to unlawful gun possession
Doug Graham
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Front Page
Former PSU student Nathan Backs pleaded guilty to unauthorized possession of a firearm, a Class A misdemeanor, during his pretrial motions hearing on Monday, March 24.
Backs now faces two years of probation and a 12-month suspended sentence, meaning that if he breaks his probation, he will have to serve a year in jail.
Backs, freshman in automotive technology when arrested and expelled from PSU, was arrested in September 2007 after two students, whose names have still not been released, told their resident assistant that Backs had threatened them. The complaints then went to a resident assistant coordinator, who reported the incident to university police.
According to police, a search of Backs' Tanner Annex dorm room uncovered numerous knives. Police said a search of Backs' vehicle yielded a Mossberg double-barreled shotgun and more than 650 rounds of ammunition, in addition to more knives. Two steel ammunition containers and a camouflage bag were also found, police said.
Backs was not charged with unlawful gun possession at the time because there were no "No Gun" signs posted. Such signs have since been posted across campus.
Backs now faces two years of probation and a 12-month suspended sentence, meaning that if he breaks his probation, he will have to serve a year in jail.
Backs, freshman in automotive technology when arrested and expelled from PSU, was arrested in September 2007 after two students, whose names have still not been released, told their resident assistant that Backs had threatened them. The complaints then went to a resident assistant coordinator, who reported the incident to university police.
According to police, a search of Backs' Tanner Annex dorm room uncovered numerous knives. Police said a search of Backs' vehicle yielded a Mossberg double-barreled shotgun and more than 650 rounds of ammunition, in addition to more knives. Two steel ammunition containers and a camouflage bag were also found, police said.
Backs was not charged with unlawful gun possession at the time because there were no "No Gun" signs posted. Such signs have since been posted across campus.
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